Disclaimer: Resident Evil still doesn't belong to me.

Author's notes: I know this was supposed to be a one shot, but now it's a two-shot. This contains spoilers for both Code Veronica and Darkside Chronicles (only if you haven't played Code Veronica.) Angst. Please read and review. Enjoy!

Steve's Point of View.

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It hurt. Damn, everything hurt. All over, my body ached. I had felt my ribs crack when Alexia threw me against the wall. It was a hot, strange feeling. Like someone had injected my torso with molten lava. It was such a contrasting feeling to the freezing cold in the Colosseum of the Antarctic Facility. My lungs were tight and it was hard to breathe. Very single breath sent a searing pain through my body.

I was cold. Colder than I had been outside in the snow and wind, or colder than I was in the airplane cabin on the way over and colder than it had been in my cell back at Rockfort.

I was dying. I knew I was dying. But... for some reason, I wasn't scared. I protected her, even if it meant this in the process.

She knelt beside me, those beautiful blue eyes filled with tears, desperation and concern. She took my hand, gentle, delicate fingers curling against mine. I smiled, forced through the pain, but genuine all the same.

I took her hand, cupping it against my face. So warm, and comforting. Sweet relief, just from her touch. The pain seemed to melt away that moment that her skin touched mine.

"You're...warm." I whispered. I couldn't bring myself to make my voice any louder. It hurt too much.

There was silence, and it took me a moment to realize that the raspy breath echoing off of the walls of the empty room. It was harder to breathe than I realized. The pain was making everything hazy and I was finding it hard to concentrate. My vision kept going in and out, I couldn't focus on Claire.

"Steve, you've got to hang in there. My brother's come to save us. We're gonna get out of here." She sounded so hopeful. I knew she knew that I wasn't going to make it...

Back on the plane, on the long, silent ride here, I'd entertained fantasies of being with her. Escaping from the island, going back to Highschool (My Father had pulled his stupid stunt with Umbrella in my senior year. My senior year, the year that most guys get laid, go to parties, get drunk... but I was stuck in a goddamn prison cell thanks to my Father's stupidity.) and then heading off to college with Claire. Maybe share a room, or get an apartment... or how wonderful it would've been to go to Hawaii for a nice, long vacation on the beach instead of dying in this hellhole...

I couldn't keep my promise. I couldn't be there any longer to protect her.

"Your brother kept his promise." A hard swallow. It ached. I could taste blood. "I'm sorry I can't."

I watched as tears formed in the corners of those beautiful blue eyes. This was hurting her as nearly much as it was hurting me. I could tell by the look in her eyes, the way she desperately clung to my hand, as if she was afraid to let go. I was thankful for it, at least. I couldn't hold onto her hand anymore, I was shaking too hard.

I was tired. Too damn tired. My eyelids were heavy, and I had to fight to keep them open. Fight to be able to look at Claire one last time before...

"W-what are you saying?" She was scared. She didn't want to hear it. So I wasn't going to tell her. She wanted to believe I'd make it, and I wanted to make her happy. I wanted to ease her pain like she was easing mine.

I took a deep breath, feeling the pain spread through my torso. It throbbed. I tasted more coppery blood. It was making me sick. Another deep breath and I realized the pain was starting to fade. Unfortunately, the cold was getting worse. The pain dissipating coupled with the numbing cold meant only one thing...

"I'm glad... that I met you." My smile widened, eyes locked onto hers. "I....I-I ...I love you, Claire." A final exhale, gentle and soft.

And it was over.